SANSA (Shared Access Terrestrial-Satellite Backhaul Network enabled by Smart Antennas) is a research project funded by the European commission under the HORIZON 2020 Framework Programme. The aim of SANSA project is to boost the performance of mobile wireless backhaul networks in terms of capacity and resilience while assuring an efficient use of the spectrum.

Recently, a global mobile traffic increase of 11-fold between 2013 and 2018 has been predicted. The industry and research communities are proposing novel access technologies such as millimiter wave access or dense small cell deployments for facing these traffic requirements. However, these technologies impose new challenging requirements to backhaul networks, so novel solutions are required to avoid backhaul becoming the bottle neck of future mobile networks. In this sense, SANSA proposes a spectrum efficient self-organizing hybrid terrestrial-satellite backhaul network based on three key principles: (i) a seamless integration of the satellite segment into terrestrial backhaul networks; (ii) a terrestrial wireless network capable of reconfiguring its topology according to traffic demands; (iii) a shared spectrum between satellite and terrestrial segments. This combination will result in a flexible solution capable of efficiently routing the mobile traffic in terms of capacity and energy efficiency, while providing resilience against link failures or congestion and easy deployment in rural areas.

The SANSA consortium strongly believes that SANSA will set the basis for a win-win collaboration between European terrestrial and satellite operators that will result in the strengthen of both market sectors, and in turn, in societal benefits for the European citizens.